Oxnard Union High School District

The Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD) is a union high school district in Ventura County, California. The district serves students in grades 9–12 on the Oxnard Plain, including the cities of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and Camarillo, California as well as adjacent unincorporated communities including El Rio, Somis, and Channel Islands Beach. As of 2020 the superintendent is Dr. Tom McCoy.

Oxnard Union High School District
Address
1800 Solar Dr
Oxnard
, California, 93033
United States
District information
TypePublic
Grades9–12
Established1901; 123 years ago (1901)
SuperintendentDr. Tom McCoy
Schools11
NCES District ID0629270 [1]
Students and staff
Students17,327 (2020–2021)[1]
Teachers689.86 (FTE)[1]
Staff471.07 (FTE)[1]
Student–teacher ratio25.12:1[1]
Other information
Websitewww.oxnardunion.org

History edit

The Oxnard Union High School District was established in 1901. Oxnard High School, the first school formed under the auspices of the district, opened the following year near downtown Oxnard.[2]

From 1957 to 1974, Joseph W. Crosby served as OUHSD superintendent. During his tenure, the district experienced massive population growth. His first major undertaking as Superintendent was to staff and open the newly constructed Adolfo Camarillo High School. Crosby then immediately spearheaded an ambitious construction program funded by a school bond measure that enabled the building of several new high schools: Hueneme (opened 1959), Thousand Oaks (1962), Rio Mesa (1965), Channel Islands (1966), and Newbury Park (1967).[3]

On July 1, 1974, the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) was formed in Thousand Oaks from the easternmost territory of OUHSD. The new district took control of the two existing public high schools within its boundaries, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park.[2]

In 1995, OUHSD relocated Oxnard High School to a new site on Gonzales Road, the first comprehensive campus to open in three decades. This replaced the original location on Fifth Street, which has stood in the flight path of Oxnard Airport since 1934.[4] The city of Oxnard purchased the old campus and converted it into a park.[5]

Measure H, a $135 million bond measure, was passed by district voters in 2004 to build new high schools and make improvements to existing campuses. The bond paid for two new swimming pools for Camarillo and Hueneme high schools that were finished in 2014. A new magnet high school in Camarillo, Rancho Campana, was funded through the bond and completed in 2015.[6][7] At the time of Rancho Campana's opening, OUHSD was searching for sites in Oxnard for two more new campuses.[8] On November 13, 2019, the district's board of trustees voted to purchase land for one of these new schools, a 53-acre (21 ha) parcel in northeast Oxnard for $26.9 million. Named Del Sol High School, the campus opened in August 2023.[9]

In 2018, Oxnard Union purchased a new headquarters building in northeast Oxnard jointly with the Rio School District. The offices on Solar Drive replace OUHSD's previous facilities on K Street which, like the old Oxnard High School, were also in the flight path of Oxnard Airport.[10] The district sold the old headquarters and other surplus properties to help pay for the new headquarters.[11]

Schools edit

Comprehensive schools edit

Magnet schools edit

Alternative and continuation schools edit

  • Condor High School Options Academy (comprises academy classrooms at Camarillo, Channel Islands, Hueneme, Oxnard, Pacifica, and Rio Mesa high schools)
  • Frontier High School

Adult schools edit

  • Oxnard Adult School

Charter schools edit

  • Architecture, Construction & Engineering Charter High School (ACE Charter)[15]
  • Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education (CAPE, K—8)[16]

Former schools edit

  • Puente High School (2000–2009)[17]
  • Pacific View High School (1999–2007)[18][19]

Feeder districts edit

Sports edit

From 1998 to 2014, all of the comprehensive high schools in the Oxnard Union High School District played in the Pacific View League (PVL), which was formed to comprise the district schools. Prior to that establishment, Camarillo and Channel Islands participated in the Marmonte League, while Hueneme, Oxnard, and Rio Mesa were part of the Channel League. Pacifica High School joined the PVL when it opened its doors in 2001. In 2014, Camarillo left the league to join the new Coastal Canyon League, mostly comprising members of the Marmonte League.[20] In 2018, Hueneme left the PVL to join the Citrus Coast League, a new circuit composed of several small public high schools.[21]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Oxnard Union High". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  2. ^ a b "About: District History". Oxnard Union High School District. Archived from the original on November 25, 2013.
  3. ^ "Joseph W. Crosby; School Superintendent". Los Angeles Times. June 9, 1994.
  4. ^ Ragland, Jenifer (January 16, 2002) "Oxnard Board to Consider Upgrade Work at 4 Schools" Los Angeles Times
  5. ^ "This used to be my playground". VCReporter. October 9, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Leung, Wendy (February 14, 2014). "Cost to build Rancho Campana higher than expected: $58 million". Ventura County Star. E. W. Scripps Company.
  7. ^ a b Leung, Wendy (September 11, 2014). "Rancho Campana High student application process begins next month". Ventura County Star.
  8. ^ Boyd-Barrett, Claudia (February 13, 2015). "Search for next Oxnard high school site stalls". Ventura County Star. Journal Media Group.
  9. ^ Leung, Wendy (November 15, 2019). "Inspired by the sun, Oxnard Union trustees agree on high school name pick". Ventura County Star. Gannett Co., Inc. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  10. ^ "Oxnard Union, Rio school districts to buy and share new headquarters". Ventura County Star. October 25, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Wilson, Alex (June 4, 2021). "Changes coming to airport property". Camarillo Acorn. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  12. ^ Leung, Wendy (September 10, 2014). "Board to discuss timeline of opening Rancho Campana High School". Ventura County Star.
  13. ^ Leung, Wendy (November 1, 2014). "Rancho Campana starts student selection process". Ventura County Star.
  14. ^ Editorial (February 15, 2015). "Rancho Campana's principal has work cut out for him". Camarillo Acorn. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  15. ^ "Architecture, Construction & Engineering Charter High (ACE)". California School Directory. California Department of Education. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  16. ^ "Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education". California School Directory. California Department of Education. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "Puente High". California School Directory. California Department of Education. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  18. ^ "Pacific View High (Community Day)". California School Directory. California Department of Education. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  19. ^ "Oxnard district to close Pacific View High". Ventura County Star. July 5, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  20. ^ "High school sports league plan gets mixed reviews". Ventura County Star. March 20, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  21. ^ Ledin, Loren (March 23, 2017). "Releaguing plan brings opportunities and complaints". Ventura County Star. Retrieved June 28, 2018.

External links edit